Like every small town, 1863 Gettysburg had its cranks, criminals, love stories, jealousies, and gossip. For most of the residents, the Battle of Gettysburg and its aftermath were the most significant events of their lives. Learn more about these fascinating personalities! Below are three of the most famous. Check out the growing list of citizens and their networks!
Samuel Foulk and the Bonding Out of Young James Wade
Whether he was trying to help the Wades or trying to acquire extra labor, Samuel Foulk took in the son of Captain James Wade, also named James, and spared him further stays at the almshouse. The tradition of the almshouse comes from the United Kingdom. You may recall a reference A Christmas Carol when Scrooge…
James, Henry, and Edward: The Fahnestock Brothers
The girls were first, and judging by Louisa’s naming of her children, they mothered the later-arriving Fahnestock brothers and adored them. The sons came every two years like clockwork from 1825 through 1829. In 1833, when James was 8, Henry 6, and Edward 4, their father Samuel bought the old tavern down the street from…
Caroline and Louisa, The Fahnestock Sisters
The Fahnestock sisters, Louisa and Caroline, made up two of the five children born to Samuel and Susan Fahnestock that lived to adulthood. The daughters came first, sandwiched around a brother who passed away in infancy. What we know of their lives is limited to what can be traced in public records, and those are…
“I [would] like to tell you every intimate detail. Many great events I can easily recall and the days of the battle here in July 1, 2, and 3, 1863 have been impressed on my heart and brain as though seared with a great hot iron.“
Catherine Bushman, 1904, age 79
